What is a “Match on Action” in Film? When Should You Use This Technique?
When you start to edit film for the first time, or even learn about the very basics in film editing, it won’t be long before you hear about a “match on action”.
So, what is matching on action in film? How does this particular cut add to the movie and what does it offer in terms of an effect for movies?
In this guide, we’re going into match on action editing in full, showing examples and how this type of technique is used in virtually every big film without the audience even noticing it is happening. Firstly, let’s give a simple definition.
What is Match On Action in Film?
So, what is a match on action cut?
Match on action in film is where multiple shots are used throughout one action. For example, if somebody is pulling up to their house and getting out of their car, there may be multiple shots that go into one seamless edit. The car may be seen braking outside the house, then a close up of the door handle opening, and a wider shot of the person getting out of the car may be used. These three different shots are tied together by one action.
This is just one match on action example, and there are so many more. In fact, every time you watch a video, whether it be a commercial or a feature film, you are likely to start noticing these types of cuts. Even something as simple as somebody walking down the street could use a match on action cut. The director and editor will work together to create the feeling of one smooth action while switching between different angles. Perhaps they will show the person’s feet first, then a shot from behind the person walking, and then switch to a shot from in front. This is a way of telling the story.
According to Caitlin Soroka’s film studies blog, the match on action cut “is used as a form of continuity editing which maintains a consistency of the narrative, using a combination of different shots in a sequence. Rather than showing two different things, it portrays a sense of the continuous action using different shots as different perspectives of that shot.”
A match on action may also be called “cutting on action” or even a “match cut on action”.
More Match on Action Examples
You can find the match on action technique in use throughout the work carried out by Insight Studios.
One great example is the JETOUR cars commercial. Match on action is used to show the car from different angles including close ups, and keep the viewer interested with a variety of different shots within the simple action of driving this stunning car around the city.
There are examples in virtually every film you can watch. Since its invention and the beginning of the use of match on action (back when films were silent and black and white) the technique has become so ingrained in film culture that you are likely to see it everywhere.
Akira Kurosawa’s Influence on Match on Action Techniques
Some of the match on action techniques that we see used in movies today have been influenced by Akira Kurosawa, the legendary director of films such as Seven Samurai. In this particular film, Kurosawa’s technique involved cutting in unusual ways, such as when Shihiroji kneels in order to comfort Manzo, the shot cuts to the actual action of kneeling. This sort of thing may not have been done much at the time, but it had a profound impact.
Match on action techniques are a great way to emphasize a point as a director or editor, but they can also be a way to experiment and create interesting and new effects, subverting what the audience might expect.
Kurosawa had some very interesting ways of using these techniques, and many of these we see mimicked in the movies of today.
Match Cut or Match on Action
These are two terms that you might see confused from time to tile. Match on action film editing and match cuts are two very different things, but as they sound similar, people can mix them up.
A “match cut” is a very different type of technique that is used in a variety of films. The match cut is when there is a central focus or theme that connects two very different cuts, which usually leads to a change in scene.
For example, a match cut can be used for a time jump. The same street could be used as a historical image, with older buildings and cars, before the same shot of the same street 30, 50, or even 100 years into the future, with new technologies being introduced.
The use of an item in a film can also provide this same kind of match cut. Perhaps somebody is holding up a sword, and the movie quickly cuts to a different shot of the same sword, in which somebody else is holding it. Perhaps the sword has been passed to a son or new leader, and this can represent a time jump in the film.
Match cuts are creative as well as match on action cuts, but they are two very different things. Match on action is always linked by a central action taking place, where a match cut can just switch between two things that are visually very similar to create an interesting effect.
How to Use Match on Action Effects
So, when it is decided that a match on action cut is going to be used, what are the next steps to make sure it actually looks good?
Well, while this is classed as an editing technique and specifically relates to continuity editing, match on action is actually about much more than just the post production process and editing.
If you are going to use match on action techniques then it is essential that you have enough footage to do so, and this means having shots from a variety of different angles. This means that the match on action effects used on films may have been planned as early as the pre-production phase, and during storyboarding, when each shot of the film or video should have been meticulously planned.
If you are going to use this sort of effect, though, it doesn’t mean you necessarily need the budget of a huge production. A lot of the time, when you see a match on action taking place, it will actually be multiple shots stitched together. Most things in film are shot multiple times in order to ensure that there is plenty of footage and that each of the scenes has a “best take” available. It could be that using editing mastery, different parts are taken from different shots.
Beware of Continuity Errors
This technique can lead to continuity errors if it is not handled carefully. If you are stitching together different footage from a variety of different shots, then it is easy to fail to notice the differences in those shots. Everything from lighting changes through to a character’s clothing changes. Actors may be holding an item in one hand during one shot, and another the next time you film it. Make sure you aren’t going between different shots with obvious continuity errors as this can ruin some of the illusion.
In large productions, there are people employed to spot continuity errors. It is their role to watch every different shot and work out whether or not the film flows with nothing like this to ruin the feeling of the shot. As match on action editing is all about continuity anyway, it needs to look good and avoid these kinds of mistakes.
There are some absolutely huge movies throughout history that do have continuity errors in them, but it is worth checking your own production.
Does Match on Action Have to Be Planned?
Though we have explained above that match on action cuts may have been planned and woven into the early stages of development, it is also possible that an editor may come up with creative ways to use these cuts after the film has been shot.
This is where having a great editor and a vision for your movie comes into play, along with a great deal of footage. If you are in the position to have many different cameras running then when it comes to the editing phase, there will be many more shots to choose from.
Summary – Should I Use Match on Action?
Match on action is a great technique to keep your movie fast-paced and interesting. Whatever kind of video you are making, there are many different ways that you can cut between shots, all while linking via the action that is occurring on screen. At Insight Studios, our expert team can help you to make use of all the best and most interesting editing techniques, taking your dream and turning it into a reality. Reach out to us today to get started.